I Am Sam Page #12

LUCY:

I do.

TURNER:

So now that you and I have agreed to

tell the truth, where did you sleep last

night?

Rita glares at Margaret. Thanks a lot.

LUCY:

In my bed at the Foster home.

TURNER:

All right, Lucy. If you're not going to

tell the truth, I am. Your dad

kidnapped you last night and the police

found you sleeping in a seedy park a

hundred miles from here. You're lying

right now because you're afraid. Afraid

that everyone will see how scared and

frustrated you really are. You're

afraid of hurting him, but now we need

to tell the truth. The truth is deep

inside you know you're not getting what

you need from your father. Isn't that

right, Lucy?

A LONG SILENCE. She stares at Turner defiantly.

LUCY:

"All you need is love."

INT. COURTROOM CORRIDOR - DAY

WE HEAR THAT SONG as Sam and Rita walk out of the courtroom.

Rita is breaking pieces off a candy bar she has stuffed in

her purse. They see Lucy running down the corridor toward

Sam, Margaret Brown behind her.

LUCY:

Daddy! I did great, didn't I?

SAM:

No, Lucy, you lied.

LUCY:

Shhh! Don't tell anyone.

Rita watches Sam. Moved by his concern as a parent.

MARGARET BROWN:

Lucy, Mrs. Kerry's here to take you

back.

LUCY:

I thought you'd be proud of me. Jo Jo's

mom told him to lie on the stand and say

he never saw a needle in the house; and

he did, and now they're back together.

SAM:

Jo Jo isn't us. The truth, the truth,

when the judge hears the truth, he'll

know, he'll know we should be together.

LUCY:

(bursting)

Nobody's interested in the truth, Daddy.

Nobody cares!

They lead her down the hallway toward Mrs. Kerry - Sam's

voice gets louder and louder - determined to make her hear.

SAM:

I CARE! DO YOU HEAR ME? THE TRUTH.

THE WHOLE TRUTH! SO HELP ME GOD!!

INT. SAM'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The darkness of Sam's apartment. We see him on his knees.

Saying his prayers by his bedside.

SAM:

Help me, God. Help me, God. Help me,

God...

We see ANNIE'S SILHOUETTE from the window of her apartment as

it moves across the frame.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Turner cross examines George, the manager of Starbucks.

GEORGE:

Sam's my most reliable employee. He's

never missed a day of work in eight

years. Always warm, always friendly.

TURNER:

Admirable qualities for a single father.

Mr. Walker, in these eight years, have

Mr. Dawson's responsibilities,

which...let me see...would include

bussing tables, replenishing Sweet 'n

Lows, and sweeping up the place...

increased?

GEORGE:

No. Not really.

TURNER:

And isn't that because he's mentally

incapable of learning management skills

or working the cash register or even

making a cup of coffee?

RITA:

Objection. Leading the witness.

JUDGE MCNEILY:

You may answer the question.

George searches for a way to tell the truth.

GEORGE:

Well as a matter of fact, Sam and I have

been discussing a promotion that I was

planning on putting into effect at the

end of the week.

Sam leaps to his feet.

SAM:

Oh boy! Thank you, George!

Rita pulls him down. Turner seizes the moment.

TURNER:

Yes. Thank you, George. Now, after

eight years, Sam can finally measure out

a teaspoon of coffee and cup of water.

Now, he must certainly be able to help

Lucy with her geometry.

RITA:

Objection -

TURNER:

No further questions.

INT. COURTROOM CORRIDOR - LATER

Rita prepares Ifty.

RITA:

...and when I ask another question?

IFTY:

I answer in one sentence.

RITA:

Yes. Short and sweet.

IFTY:

Yes. One sentence. Short and sweet.

My aunt was short and sweet. But her

cooking was too spicy she...

Rita's twitching foot knocks over her purse. Out spill

several Snickers Bars with the chocolate picked off them.

Embarrassed, she kneels to pick them up when she and Sam see

something that stops them both, awestruck. In the corner of

the corridor, huddled on a bench in dark sunglasses, sits

ANNIE IN A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS SUIT. Sam runs to her.

SAM:

Annie! I can't believe it!

ANNIE:

(visibly trembling)

Tell them to take me quickly.

RITA:

Give me one minute with the judge.

INT. COURTROOM - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

Annie, wearing her dark glasses, is being questioned by Rita.

RITA:

Besides being Lucy's godmother, aren't

you also Lucy's piano teacher?

ANNIE:

Yes.

RITA:

Lucy's very lucky. Didn't you graduate

Magna Cum Laud from the Julliard School

of Music?

ANNIE:

Summa Cum Laud.

RITA:

(delighted)

Excuse me. Now Ms. Cassell, in all the

time you've known them, have you ever

questioned Sam's ability as a father?

ANNIE:

Never.

RITA:

Never?

ANNIE:

Never. Look at Lucy. She's strong,

she's able to display true empathy for

people, all kinds of people. I know you

all think she's as bright as she is

despite him. But it's because of him.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. COURTROOM - LATER

Turner stands where Rita did.

TURNER:

Can Sam add?

ANNIE:

Yes.

TURNER:

How about multiplication?

ANNIE:

He's learning.

TURNER:

So what you're saying is that Sam can

not even multiply two times two?

ANNIE:

I don't know about you, Mr. Turner, but

my fondest memories of my parents have

nothing to do with times tables or state

capitals.

TURNER:

I bet he's knocking on your door all the

time with questions.

ANNIE:

Yes. All the time. The last question

was whether to use Biz or Clorox to get

the grass stains out of Lucy's soccer

uniform.

ON RITA AND SAM:

This is too good to be true.

TURNER:

So let's see..he doesn't know math...he

can't even wash her clothes. How about

puberty? I can only imagine how much

insight he'll bring to approaching the

sensitive issues of a young girl's

development.

ANNIE:

Mr. Turner, show me a father, any

father, who knows how to do that and

I'll give them the Parent of the Year

award.

TURNER:

And you've had plenty of opportunity to

observe fathers, haven't you?

RITA:

Objection!

TURNER:

But the fact that Ms. Cassell hasn't

come out of her room in years might have

some effect on her perception.

JUDGE MCNEILY:

I'll allow it.

ANNIE:

I had twenty eight years in the world to

observe all kinds of fathers.

TURNER:

What about your father, Ms. Cassell?

Since you appear to be an expert on

father-daughter relationships.

A long pause. Sam watches as Annie visibly tightens.

TURNER (CONT'D)

Excuse me, Ms. Cassell, I didn't hear

your response. What about your father?

Annie reaches for her water glass. We see her hand SHAKE.

It knocks over the glass, shattering it on the floor.

SAM:

Objection! No further questions!

TURNER:

Excuse me, Mr. Dawson?

SAM:

I said that's enough! I will not allow

it! Overruled! Overruled!!

Rita doesn't stop him. The Judge hesitates, incredulous,

then pounds the gavel as the courtroom erupts.

EXT. SAM'S APARTMENT - DUSK

Rita sits in her Porsche with Annie and Sam. Annie is curled

into a tight ball in the passenger seat. Sam is tucked into

the shelf in the back. His legs kick Rita in the face with

every gear shift.

RITA:

Thank you again, Annie. You were truly

extraordinary.

SAM:

Extraordinary. Truly extraordinary.

Annie doesn't move.

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